


Operation: Lock Tony and Steve in a Closet

by Halfling



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel (Movies), The Avengers (2012)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-14
Updated: 2011-12-14
Packaged: 2017-10-27 08:41:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/293850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Halfling/pseuds/Halfling
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony and Steve have a fight, so Pepper takes matters into her own hands.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Operation: Lock Tony and Steve in a Closet

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted at my [Tumblr](http://halfsuper.tumblr.com/)

Pepper had been Tony’s right hand woman for longer than he could remember. She was a secretary on steroids who quickly became his girl friday he couldn’t live without. Though she made a show of reminding him of this whenever he was being his sarcastic self, he never forgot. She always did what was best for him.

Even when it wasn’t convenient.

Tony was in his workshop swearing under his breath and throwing things when Pepper cornered him. “Tony, I need you to make a decision on this.”

He looked up from a schematic, or rather through the holographic schematic, at her. “Don’t I have you for that?”

“Yes, but this needs your signature either way.”

Tony made a face. “Just, uh, put it somewhere, have Jarvis remind me later.” His attention went back to the schematic, zooming in, changing something, zooming out, changing something else.

“I need this now, Tony. I told you about this two weeks ago.”

“Two weeks ago? I remember you saying something like, two days ago. Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

“Fine, bring it here.”

As Pepper got closer, she could see him more clearly. There were deep bags under his eyes and his clothes looked like they’d been worn for days. “God, Tony, when was the last time you showered? Or slept?”

“I don’t remember, it’s unimportant. Did you need me to sign something?”

“Yes, just, here. One of these two, the one you sign will go into effect starting Monday. I would say it matters a good deal which one you choose but I know you don’t care so just pick whichever.”

“You know me so well.” He signed the top sheet and handed the clipboard back. And returned to tinkering with the digital frame in front of him.

“Yeah, I do know you. Just like I know something is wrong. You can tell me or I’ll have Jarvis tell me for you.”

A vein in Tony’s forehead twitched and he reached up to rub it. “Nothing’s wrong.”

“Jarvis?”

“Okay, okay!” Tony interrupted the overly polite voice before it could speak, cursing himself mentally for making it so smart.

“Steve and I had a fight.”

“A fight? Over what? When?”

“I don’t know, I said something stupid, probably. It’s been a couple days, I’m sure Steve just needs time to cool off.”

“Sir, it has been five days since you last saw Mr. Rogers,” Jarvis piped up.

Tony just groaned and covered his face with his hands, exasperated. “What do I do, Pep?”

She put a hand on his shoulder. “Leave it to me.”

\---

“Hey Steve, can I ask a small favor?” Steve paused the animation he was studying to give his full attention to Pepper.

“Sure, what can I do for you?”

“Actually, I’m a little embarrassed to ask, but one of the lightbulbs in my office burned out, I think there’s a spare box at the top of the supply closet but I can’t reach it. Would you be able to get one down for me?”

Steve smiled his best Captain America-off-to-save-a-kitten-from-a-tree smile and said, “Of course!”

Pepper led him down the hall to the big supply closet that everyone had the key to but only the janitors used, which she had propped open with a brick. “It should be right at the top of the back shelf.”

He entered the closet, and Pepper quietly slid the brick out of way of the door. “Kind of dark in here,” Steve said.

“Oh, yeah. Let me go get a flashlight.” She left the closet, waiting to hear the door latch closed before going off to find Tony.

Behind her, she heard a muffled “Hey Pepper, the door won’t open? Pepper, are you there?” and grinned like a fox.

Phase one of Operation: Lock Steve and Tony in a Closet was complete.

\---

Tony was sitting exactly where Pepper had left him. “Did I sign the wrong one?”

“No. Actually, I need you to come to my office for a minute.”

“Do I have to? I’m kind of in the middle of something.” Tony had his arms out in front of him, looking like he was trying to hold them very still. They were coated in what appeared to be a moving blanket of holographic ants.

“You have to, now.”

Tony made a face again and told Jarvis to pause the animation. Carefully, he pulled his arms from the holographs. When he was free, he got up to follow Pepper upstairs.

When they reached the hall with the storage closet, everything was quiet until they came close to the door. “Hello? Is someone there? I think I’m locked in the closet. Hello?” Steve’s voice came from inside.

“Steve?” Tony ran to the door. “Is that you? Why are you in a closet?”

“Tony? Nevermind. Just, let me out, please?”

“Jarvis, unlock the door.” The latch gave way with a click. When Tony opened the door, neither of them were prepared for Pepper to shove him inside and latch the door again behind him. “What the, Pepper? Open the door.” He rattled the door knob but it didn’t budge.

“You two work out whatever’s going on between you, then you can come out.” She laughed to herself in awe that her plan was actually working. “If you want some more light, there are candles and matches on the back shelf. See you later, boys!”

“Really, Pepper? No, I don’t have time for this. Jarvis, open the door.”

Jarvis’ voice was muffled from the outside hall but they could still hear him perfectly. “I’m sorry, sir. I’m afraid I can’t do that.”

“What? Did you just go HAL 9000 on me? Open the closet door, right now.”

“I’m under strict orders from Ms. Potts not to open them until you and Mr. Rogers have worked out your differences.”

“But, I made you. How can you obey her and not me?”

“Ms. Potts makes a good argument, sir.”

“Of course she does.” Tony punched the door with his fist, but was only given a sharp pain in the knuckles for his trouble. “And of course the door would be fucking steel, who designed this?”

“You did, sir.”

“Jarvis, speak up again and I”ll have you decommissioned.”

Finally, there was quiet. At least, until Steve spoke up, “Well I can’t say I saw that one coming.”

“No one ever sees Pepper’s plans coming, she’s like a backstabbing ninja.”

“How did she even get this idea?”

“Who knows. Well, she forced me to tell her that we had a fight. I didn’t expect her to go all Rambo on us.”

“Rambo?”

“Don’t ask. Look, I’m sorry to get you into this mess. I know she can be crazy sometimes, but she’s only looking out for my best interests.”

“And she thinks it’s in your best interests if we work things out between the two of us?”

“…I guess.”

“Would you like to go first, or shall I?”

“I will. Look, I’m losing my mind without you. I don’t know what I did, but—”

“You stole my shield and added upgrades after I specifically asked you not to.”

“I was trying to do you a favor.”

“I didn’t want you to. I rely on that shield, it’s saved my life more times than you have.”

“Yeah! Well, maybe that’s what bothers me! I can’t protect you in the way I’d like to, and I just—” Tony took a breath to slow down and take the anger out of his voice. “I worry about you. I rely on full-body technology to keep me safe, and all you have is a little disk of vibranium.”

“That’s all I need, Tony. It’s all I’ve ever had, since WWII.”

“I know, but we aren’t fighting Nazis anymore, Steve. Our enemies are a lot scarier.”

“Scarier than Hitler? The Red Skull?”

“Well when you put it that way, I guess not.” Tony sighed. “I’m sorry I took your shield. If you don’t want the upgrades, I can take them out.”

“I’d like that, thank you.”

“So, are we cool now? Because I haven’t slept since we fought and I really just want to go to bed now.”

“Yes Tony, we’re ‘cool’ now. You know, if you want, my bed’s closer. We could grab those candles, too.”

Suddenly, sleep was the last thing on Tony’s mind. “Jarvis, will you please unlock the door so I can have sex in a bed instead of a closet?”

“Of course, sir,” Jarvis responded. The latch on the door clicked again, and it was music to their ears.

Back in her office, Pepper was monitoring the door lock status out of the corner of her eye. When she saw the red light for the storage closet turn green she smiled. Operation: Lock Steve and Tony in a Closet was officially a success.

**Author's Note:**

> This came about because I told my friend Kalli I just wanted to adopt the Avengers and keep them in my apartment. She said we should lock Steve and Tony in a closet with some candles and not let them out until they had sex. This fic blossomed from there. No apologies!


End file.
